The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1887-06-30


servation and the dates are unimpeach-
able, don't mind saying ton dollars.
"If you were to say twenty cried
Mrs. Bliss, reddcning little.
But just here Benny battered into the
room.
Mother" he whispered, very
audibly, "old Mr. Jennings is in the
kitchen, and he says he called to see
about the money you owe him."
The crimson had flooded Mrs. Bliss
whole face now; she shrank back from
Bcnny's words.
"And ho says" went on tho urchin,
unconsciously merciless, '.its the third
time hos called"
Mrs. Bliss looked pitcously at the fine
lady in the lilac muslin and the dutt,r.
ing ribbon-bows, then at the family
Bible. Mrs. Sewer felt magnctically
that a crises had arrived and was
vaguely agitating the atmosphere.
"Say Fifteen" she spoke up, with
wheedlini air.
Mrs. Bliss took the family Bible from
its resting place on crochet mat under
the gilt looking glass.
"Take it." she said, hurricdly.
Benny shall carry it home for you if
if you can make it convenient to let me
have the money at once"
Mrs. Sewer drew out her purple plush
purse without loss of time, and placed
three bills in Mrs. Blis.' hands.
$50 much obliged to you" she muir
mure', with the sweet smile which her
decricrs were apt to compare tc per-
pctual flow OF New Orleans mo!asess.
Aud she went on her way with Benny
trudging behind with the family Bible
wrapped in brown paper and tied with
piece of blue twine.
II feel exactly as if I'd sold one of
the children" said the poor woman,
wringing her hands, after Mr.. Jennings
had been paid his bill, had written out
receipt and was gone. "But what
was l to do2 owed old Jennings the
money for last years coal hill, and the
interest on the mortgage was due last
week, and there is the grcccr's account,
and--oh, dear dear! After all, the
fifteen dollars was only drop in the
bucket, and | don't know what on earth
| am to dow
And the tears dropped fast INTO the
wash-tub as she rubbed out Bcnny's
calico shirt waist with the ardinal-
colorcd horse-shoes on the white ground,
which he oaly wore on Sundays and
high holidays. -..-
She went into the restroom when
the washing was done and the clothes
were fiuttering on the line, and looked
with q shuddcr at the vacant place under
the gilt looking glass.
"How could I-how could ~ she
cried aloud. 81 might have known il
would take all luck out of the house to
sell Grandfather Bliss old family Bible y
And she sat down under the lilacs on
the doorstep and began to weep softly,
with the corner other apron for pock-
et-hand kerchief.
''Mrs. Bliss. -Betsey Why, what's
the mattcr2 Is there any one sick OIL
dead2"
Mrs. Bliss dashed away the tears.
'No," she faltered, as her eyes met
the inquiring gaze of Walter Wheelock,
the village only the family
Bible has gone"
THE family Biblc Has some one
stolen it2'
mo; I've sold ito Mrs. Sewer, q
the hotcl.'
"Humph!' Mr.. Wheelock knitted hi
dark brows until they made a level
shaggy line above his eyes. "What wa.
that for2'
"For money" flashed out Mrs Bliss
"if you must know it, Walter Whcelocl
for fifteen dollars to pay old Jen
nings the balance on our last years Goa
bill! And if you've come 10 get the in
tercst on the mortgage to-day, may a
well tell you, first as last, tnat l hahn
got the money nor no prospect of getting
it; aud so you may as we'll foreclose, ant
done with it. If and the two children
bavc got to go to the poor housc-But
after all. she added, with a suddel
tide of hopcfulness, ''there amt n
danger of that, so long as l have tw
hands to work with, thank the Lord !!
Don't talk nonsense, BetseyW sait
Mr.. Whcelock, rather curtly.
"But if l could only get the famil
Bible back again." cried Mrs. Bliss, hys
tcricaIly. "oh, I'd give anything to til
. one who would lring the old famil
Bible back to mcr'
Anything, ehs" said Wheelock.
eyes, anything!' said Mrs. Bliss rock
ing herself back and forth on the door
stone. '1t would bring good luck wit
t it-oh, know it would! was such
5 fool ever to let it CO."
"Well, VIC won't say anything abou
this interest money to-day" said Whee
| ock, with his hands in his pockets
: Perhaps some other time"
"All times arc the same to me-" sal
0 the little widow, recklessly. ''Foriy
five dollars, isn't it2 Well, Pm ne
r likely either to find gold mine or strik
an oil well between this and some othc
: day."
And she fell to tearing off the dus
e Drowned lilac leaves, with hand tn;
trembled with nervous agitation.
D The sun and the wind had long sine
dried the iuttering clothes upon the lin